Obituary: Dr Tom Badger, GP, 59

Tributes have been paid to Dr Tom Badger, a GP in Dunbar for more than 30 years and a respected member of the community, who has sadly passed away, aged 59.

A popular figure in the town, Dr Badger passed away in the early hours of Saturday, August 7, following a short period in hospital.

Originally from Wolverhampton, he studied medicine at Edinburgh University before joining the Royal Army Medical Corps, with which he served as a Captain in Germany and Northern Ireland.

Upon leaving the army in the early 1980s he started his career as a GP, opening up a small practice in a basement in Dunbar High Street. He and wife Wendy lived above the practice for many years.

He was instrumental in pushing for a more suitable medical centre to be built on Abbey Road, where the practice moved in 1985. He was a senior partner of his practice, which moved to the new Dunbar Medical Centre on Queen's Road in 2001. Dr Badger also pioneered the introduction of computer technology to his surgery.

His colleague at the Dunbar Medical Practice, Dr Neil Black, who worked with him for 19 years, described him as a "dedicated" practitioner.

"Dr Badger hadn't had a day off ill in all the time that I'd known him, so it was very unexpected when he had to go into hospital," he said.

"He was very dedicated to his job, very dedicated to his patients and very dedicated to the town of Dunbar."

Dr Badger was a Rotarian for 15 years and had been president twice, only recently completing his second presidency.

Gordon Coventry, who succeeded Dr Badger as president of the Rotary club, said his friend had been "part of everything in the town".

As well as Rotary, Dr Badger was medical officer for Dunbar RNLI for 25 years, and David Johnston, Dunbar RNLI station chairman, said: "Tom had been a brilliant supporter of the RNLI in Dunbar for more than 25 years and he had provided a great service to generations of lifeboat crews. Nothing was too much trouble for him."

He was also an adviser for Torness Power Station, a member of Dunbar Twinning Committee and Dunbar 1st Responders as well as former member of Round Table and a past chairman of Dunbar Grammar School Board.

Stephen Bunyan, chair of Dunbar Community Council, said his death had come as an "enormous shock" to Dunbar, while Dunbar councillor Paul McLennan, East Lothian Council leader, said: "He will be sadly missed by many people.

He is survived by his wife Wendy and children Samantha, Oliver, Matthew, Rebecca, Jennifer and Andrew, and grandchildren Struan and Owen.

A celebration of his life took place on Monday, August 16, at Dunbar Parish Church. A book of condolence has also been opened at Dr Badger's former surgery.